Scratches , also known as "Rustle" is a computer game in the quest genre , developed by the Argentine company Nucleosys and published by Got Game Entartaiment .
Scratches | |
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Cover packaging game | |
Developer | Nucleosys |
Publisher | Got game entertainment |
Date of issue | |
Genre | |
Age rating | ESRB : T -Teens |
Technical details | |
Platform | |
Game mode | single player |
Carriers | and |
Control | keyboard , mouse , gamepad |
Gameplay
Scratches is a first-person horror quest game in which the player will have to control a hero who explores the estate. The player has the ability to rotate the camera 360 degrees freely, however, he cannot freely move his character through the game space, since the movement around the location is realized with the help of mouse clicks on the active zones [1] .
Description
The game tells the story of the Blackwood mansion, located on the outskirts of Rothbury , a small town in the English county of Northumberland .
Until 1963, the mansion was owned by engineer James T. Blackwood and his wife. But after the owner of the house was charged with the murder of his wife and arrested, the mansion was taken over by their family doctor Christopher Milton. A few days later, James Blackwood died of a heart attack in prison, awaiting trial, although city gossip claimed that he had committed suicide. The police closed the case without finding evidence. And soon, in 1970, Christopher Milton disappeared without a trace, after which the house was empty for many years.
The player takes control of the next owner of the house, Michael Arthaith, a horror novel writer who is looking for privacy to work on his new book. Arriving at the house, he soon discovers that the building still contains traces of his dark past: at night there is a strange rustling everywhere, especially from the basement and fireplaces, and the diaries and letters of the former owners of the house report eerie details about old events. Therefore, Michael soon becomes more interested in studying history at home than in working on his book.
The game is written on the graphics engine Scream, which is the property of Nucleosys Digital Studio . This graphics engine is self-sufficient and does not require various software libraries or video codecs.
Music and sound effects were written specifically for the game by a composer performing under the pseudonym Cellar of Rats (“Basement with Rats”), who created fearful melodies in the ambient style for scenes in a mansion, a crypt, a greenhouse and a church.
Characters
- Michael Arthaith is the protagonist of this game. A budding writer. The sales of his successful first book, The Disappearing City (whose name is a reference to the game Dark Fall ), brought him enough money to buy an impressive Victorian mansion, which was his long-time dream. Michael's passion for the gothic style is a feature of his next novel. Having finished his successful book, Michael tries to cope with the cargo that fell on his shoulders and write a worthy sequel that will meet the expectations of his fans. Michael understands that this is a turning point in his career, and his new book will decide whether he really is a talented author or just a writer of one book.
- James T. Blackwood is an eccentric gentleman who was a prominent figure in his hometown of Rothbury. Blackwood was one of the successful engineers in the district. Although he had a nasty temper, rude features and extravagant manners that scared all people away from him, with the exception of a few close friends, Blackwood was considered an important person and led many construction works.
- Catherine Lydia Blackwood is the mysterious wife of James Blackwood who taught English at a local school. Unlike her strange husband, she was a quiet and reserved person, but her friends and students loved her.
- Christopher E. Milton is a close friend and family doctor of Blackwoods. He was a very curious person. His extensive medical background and experience have created him as the most important and beloved doctor in Rothbury. Dr. Milton’s belief in his skill and the value of human life was widely known, so many patients trusted him. Although he practiced the science that saves lives, Milton himself was a painful person and looked sad and exhausted.
- Eva Mariani is an Italian immigrant who wanted to become a professional photographer. She worked as a maid for Blackwoods for several years, earning money on photography courses, until she found out that her employer had killed his wife. She accused him of this crime and, after a complex investigation, disappeared from sight, probably returning to Italy.
- William Bailey is a former retired police chief. He led the investigation into the death of Catherine Blackwood in the early sixties. Bailey was convinced that Mr. Blackwood was guilty, but he could not send him to jail.
- Jerry Carter is an old friend of Michael, a cheerful and curious person. He opened his property agency, which allowed him to earn a lot of money, little work. Now Jerry's company is the largest property agency in Rothbury. Simply put, Jerry runs the biggest house sale deals in the county, which allowed him to find a suitable home for Michael: one of the last old Victorian mansions. Now Jerry is trying to open another company in London.
- Barbara Styles is an assistant Michael hired to sort out fan letters and contact magazines, inviting them to publish his stories. It is unusual for a writer to hire assistants for himself, but it is clear that this is useful for Michael, since he decided to leave the city and break ties with civilization.
Story
The game's plot originates in October, on a Saturday morning, when Michael comes to the house for the first time. Having examined his belongings, he begins to inspect the Blackwood mansion and learns that James Blackwood, his wife Catherine, and their maid Eva Mariani used to live in it. Blackwood was an engineer by profession, and his wife was a teacher. Also in his hobby, James Blackwood was an amateur and collector of African culture. Michael learns that James Blackwood went on a business trip to South Africa to build a bridge. On this trip, he met a secretive tribe of natives who were accused of bloody sacrifices, cannibalism and eugenic experiences. Blackwood and his companions witnessed an extremely cruel and disgusting rite of sacrifice, which included the worship of victims before the mask. This mask aroused strong curiosity from Blackwood, and he stole it and brought it with him to England along with many other African works of art.
After talking to Jerry Carter on the phone, Michael finds out that Blackwood probably killed his wife. According to the newspapers of 1963, his maid Miss Mariani accused him of this. After reading about the murder, Michael realizes that as a result of an unfortunate set of circumstances, he will be forced to spend his first night in a mansion without electricity and candles, completely cut off from civilization.
At night, he hears for the first time the rustling that drove past homeowners to madness. Michael realizes that they are coming from the fireplaces that are located throughout the mansion, and traces their source to the basement, which cannot descend due to the absence of a light source.
The next day, due to a thunderstorm, Michael cannot leave the house, but he finds a mask stolen by Blackwood. He believed that he was under the curse of the mask, and in his letter asked Dr. Milton to come to the mansion. Soon, Michael learns that the house has a secret room. Going down the rope from the tower, Michael discovers that it was a nursery. According to the birth certificate found, it becomes known that Blackwood had a son, but the child’s name was erased. Michael's hopes of finding out the identity of the child were destroyed when he found a newspaper with an article saying that the child died shortly after birth.
At night, Michael was awakened again by a rustle. He traces the sound to the basement and then to the huge furnace in which he glimpses someone's shadow. In the morning, Michael calls Jerry and tells him about his suspicion that James Blackwood is still alive, but Jerry reports that Blackwood died of a heart attack in the same year as his wife. Then Michael contacts Bailey, the policeman who investigated the case. He says that Blackwood was caught by their maid when he buried the corpse of his wife, who had her throat broken, in the garden. Michael finds Blackwood's body in the crypt, and also finds out the name of the deceased child - Robin. In the yard, he digs up the corpse of Katherine. From the notes of Blackwood in the family chapel, Michael learns that the mask contains the primitive evil spirit that was held inside by the totem by an African tribe. It also turns out that Jerry sold the house illegally, so Michael must leave the house, but before his departure he decides to clean the mask with a totem, but this does not stop the rustling from the fireplace. After inspecting the fireplace, Michael finds a secret hatch leading to a basement room that looks like a prison. In prison, he finds a toy bear with a broken throat and raw meat. There is a big hole in the wall in which Michael notices catlike eyes, after which a monstrously ugly boy jumps out of the darkness - Robin, son of Blackwood, who was considered dead. Robin rushes to Michael, but he manages to escape and drives away.
In the director's version of the game there is also an alternative end, in which this basement room has a different look: there is neither a bear, nor meat, nor a hole in the wall. In the corner of the room is a skeleton and next to it is a suicide note. From the note, Michael learns that this is the skeleton of James Blackwood, who has gone mad. Reading the suicide note, Michael realizes that because of this psycho he himself almost lost his mind, and decides to leave.
“Last Visit”
In the director's version of the game was added an additional quest, called "The Last Visit", which tells about the events that occurred after the escape of Michael. The house is being prepared for demolition, but before that it is visited by reporter Peter Banks. The mansion fell victim to vandalism: it was looted, the remaining furniture was knocked down, and graffiti and a large blood-red inscription “Murderer” on the living room wall covered the walls. In search of any traces, the journalist finds the packaging for Talidomide , a drug that caused numerous cases of birth defects in 1950-1960. In the end, the journalist discovers a damned mask, after which a matured Robin jumps on him. The reporter falls from the balcony, but when Robin is about to attack again, an elderly man appears (probably Dr. Milton), who wants to see Robin for the last time before dying and ask him for forgiveness. Robin attacks Milton, while the reporter flees in the meantime.
The information gathered poses the question to the player: was Robin's congenital deformity really a curse, and did the evil spirit move into Robin from a mask, or was he born that way because Catherine took Thalidomide?
Releases
Scratches was released on March 8, 2006 in North America by the game publisher Got Game Entertainment , after a short time German , Italian , Russian and Greek versions were released. It was also announced the development of the Spanish localization, but it was never released.
Nucleosys also released a director's version of the game, in which an alternative ending was added, and the gameplay was increased by 2 hours.
See also
- Rustle - Russian film based on the game